Effect of educational intervention on computer‐aided‐design and computer‐aided‐manufacturing technology to preclinical dental students

Abstract

IntroductionThis study evaluated the effectiveness of a video presentation instruction compared to the prevailing traditional lecture provided in the preclinical classroom when introducing computer‐aided design/computer‐aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology.Materials and MethodsThis study was conducted as a controlled educational trial (single‐blind) on 120 first‐year dental students. Students were assigned to two learning groups: the control (n = 60, traditional lecture) and the intervention (n = 60, video presentation). Both groups completed a self‐efficacy scale (SES) survey before instruction. Then, the intervention group actively participated in a one‐session video presentation while the control group was given a traditional lecture. After the presentations, student knowledge was assessed with a hands‐on simulated exercise that was scored out of 60 points. At last, students completed a post‐instruction student perception and attitude (SPA) survey. Inferential hypothesis testing was conducted with two‐sample t‐tests, and significance was defined as p ≤ .05.ResultsThere were no significant differences in the student pre‐instruction SES scores between the control and intervention groups. After the video learning, CAD/CAM knowledge application during the hands‐on simulated exercise showed significantly higher results in the intervention group as the assessment scores from the intervention group averaged 13.6 ± 2.0 points higher than the control group (p < .001). The results from the post‐instruction SPA survey showed no statistically significant difference between groups.ConclusionWith the video presentation technique, our first‐year dental students were able to greatly enhance their CAD/CAM application skills. The results from this study could be applied at other dental educational institutions with potential similar outcomes.

Areas of Interest in Dental Education: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Last Decade

“…The other countries in the top six list were consistent across the periods with only the order different among the different periods. The keyword network maps generated in this study identified the emergence of 3D printing, virtual reality, simulation, e-learning, and software during the period between 2019 and 2023, suggesting that the dental education research fraternity is keeping pace with the rapid technological advances in both dentistry and higher education [ 20 , 21 ]. It is also worth noting that the period between 2019 and 2023 had a significant cluster of keywords around COVID-19 that was linked to terms such as burnout, stress, anxiety, and depression, reflecting the trends of uncertainty observed worldwide during the pandemic and, in particular, by the dental fraternity.…”